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Nigerian man deported despite torture protection order, now hiding in Togo

May 21, 2026·Location: Los Angeles, CA

Country of origin: Nigeria

Nigerian man deported despite torture protection order, now hiding in Togo
Photo via thecable.ng

Etinosa Osahon, a 49-year-old Nigerian lawful permanent resident who came to the U.S. in 2002, was granted protection under the Convention Against Torture in 2012 after an immigration judge found Nigerian officials had tortured him, tying him to a tree, beating him, hanging him from a ceiling and forcing him to stare at the sun. He lived in California with his U.S. citizen wife and three U.S. citizen children and complied with ICE supervision for 14 years. In May, he was detained by ICE at what he believed was a routine check-in at the agency's Los Angeles field office and deported through Ghana toward Nigeria. After Ghanaian officials said he would be sent on to Nigeria, he fled into hiding in neighboring Togo, where his attorneys say he has contracted malaria and lacks legal status or medical care. A federal judge found the government likely acted in "flagrant violation" of his due-process rights and its own regulations by removing him without revoking his supervision or torture protections, and ordered officials to disclose his location and detail steps to bring him back.

Timeline

May 21, 2026—Federal judge found likely due-process violations and ordered disclosure of his location and custodial status
May 1, 2026—Detained by ICE at what he believed was a routine check-in at the Los Angeles field office and deported through Ghana
Jan 1, 2012—Granted protection under the Convention Against Torture after judge found he was tortured by Nigerian officials
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